


Sweet Dreams

by TheInsaneFox



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, Drinking with Meg is probably very dangerous lbr, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Riding, Topping from the Bottom, Zagreus needs sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:20:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28233810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInsaneFox/pseuds/TheInsaneFox
Summary: "It’s been Gods know how long since he’s last slept. Although he rarely needs it, the bone-deep exhaustion from too many escape attempts and not enough rest is starting to kick in. What number attempt was he on at escaping the Underworld now? It didn’t even matter."Zagreus can't remember the last time he slept so Thanatos makes it his personal mission to get him to do so.
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 237





	Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhh hi everyone! My first foray into the Hades fandom is finally up!
> 
> I don't really have much to say about this piece other than this game has really sucked me in body and soul, and I just had to get out all the feelings I have for these two. 
> 
> Hopefully this if the first of many ThanZag fics to come!

The last of the shades disappear in a small burst of flame as Zagreus leans over his sword, gasping as he tries to regain his breath. He has no idea where he is, just that it’s somewhere in Elysium. A centaur heart has appeared before him, but instead of going straight for it, he takes a seat in the soft grass.

It’s been Gods know how long since he’s last slept. Although he rarely needs it, the bone-deep exhaustion from too many escape attempts and not enough rest is starting to kick in. What number attempt was he on at escaping the Underworld now? It didn’t even matter.

He falls backward until he’s in the grass looking up at the sky. After spending his entire life in the bowels of Tartarus, it’s strange to see the eery glow of the pseudo-sun and feel the warm breeze on his skin. It makes him wonder how much brighter and warmer Olympus will be; how much more it will be.

Mother will surely be happy to show me around. He thinks. He hopes. He doesn’t dare let himself go down that path of what will happen if she rejects him and forces him to return home.

He sighs and closes his eyes for a second. He knows he should be going towards the sounds of the stadium up ahead. He’ll have to defeat Theseus and Asterius again if he has any hope of finding his mother. But having to go head to head with that pompous king right now sounds about as appealing as eating a rancid pomegranate. Maybe even stabbing himself in the eye would be preferable to hearing that moron blather incessantly.

An electric current strikes through the air then and Zagreus sits up. It’s not strong enough of a presence to be Zeus, but he would know this aura anywhere.

He knows even before the telltale gong sounds that Thanatos has arrived. In a flash of light, he appears, his usually passive expression confused when he sees Zagreus sitting on the ground.

“Zag? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Zagreus replies, perhaps too quickly. “Just…catching my breath is all.”

The frown Thanatos responds with sends a shock of guilt through Zagreus. “I’ve never seen you so wiped out from a minor battle. When was the last time you slept?”

Zagreus shrugs, unable to meet Thanatos’ gaze. He doesn’t miss the frustrated snort Thanatos lets out, but when a hand appears before him, he isn’t too proud to accept it as Thanatos helps him to his feet.

As soon as he’s standing, Thanatos grabs his chin and forces his gaze upwards.

“Zag,” he says, “Go home and get some rest.”

Zagreus jerks his head away and turns to face the stadium, the distant roar of the crowd calling to him. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Again.”

Thanatos sighs at that. “You know you’re going to die within the first five minutes in there, right?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

The laugh Thanatos lets out is dry and resigned. “You’re something else.”

Zagreus can’t help the grin that splits his face at that. “It’s why you love me.”

Thanatos doesn’t even answer that, just rolls his eyes. “Since you clearly don’t need my help here, I best be off. See you soon.”

Left to flounder between feeling insulted and amused as Thanatos returns to wherever he goes when he’s on duty, Zagreus can’t help but balk at the space where Death had once been. Shaking himself out of it, he grumbles as he heads towards the arena filled with screaming shades.

“With any luck, you won’t be seeing me again for a long time, Than.”

* * *

When Zagreus returns to his chambers, he throws himself face-first onto his bed. He’s swelling with a wider range of emotions than he ever thought he was capable of, from sorrow to rage to exhaustion to resignation. How could the Fates be so cruel? To finally find Persephone and then have his time be cut so laughably short—

He groans and rolls over onto his back to glare at the ceiling. Blood and darkness, Hades was right. He’s never getting out of here. After all of that, to find out he’s tied to the Underworld same as the father he’s spent so long trying to escape is the harshest slap to the face he could have ever imagined. How does sweet Sisyphus remain so kind-hearted when he’s forced to push that boulder for all eternity? Persephone is his boulder, and he needs to figure out how to break the cycle.

With a frustrated cry, he sits up and runs his hands through his destroyed hair, knocking his wreath even more off-kilter than it already was. He still needs to sleep, but he’s so full of pent up rage that he needs to do something about it first. A cursory glance around the room and his gaze lands on Stygius. Without a better idea, he gets up to grab it and walks out of his chambers.

He arrives out in the courtyard only to find Skelly is nowhere to be found. It takes every ounce of will power left in him not to throw his sword to the ground in a childlike tantrum, but manages to restrain himself. Father doesn’t need any more ammunition against me. He thinks miserably.

“Ok, fine,” he grumbles. “Where else can I go?”

He figures the lounge is as good a place as any. There are almost always some disgruntled shades happy to pick a fight with anyone willing. If nothing else, maybe he can convince the chef to put a sleeping draught in his food.

Decided, Zagreus walks back through his chambers, refusing to look at his reflection in the mirror Nyx had gifted him along the way. He knows he looks like absolute hell, but the energy required to give even a modicum of a fuck is long past him. Plus, it will likely piss his father off, so that’s always a bonus.

When he arrives, the lounge is bustling as per usual, the low hum of shades gossiping filling the air. Dusa is off in the corner cleaning something. Zagreus wants to go speak with her, to let her know she’s doing a great job. But his brain is only operating at maybe half its normal capacity and he decides against making an absolute ass of himself by likely spewing nothing but utter nonsense to the sweet house servant.

He looks around for anyone familiar, or at the very least who he would want to sit with. Sure enough, seated at the bar are two familiar faces so Zagreus makes his way straight towards them. It’s always odd to him to see Meg and Thanatos interacting on anything unrelated to work, but a jealous pang in his chest reminds him that they have become quite close lately. Although to the common outsider, it would appear that they have become much chummier than mere work acquaintances.

He squashes that quickly though as he approaches the two of them.

“—hasn’t been sleeping.” Thanatos is saying just as Zagreus arrives. He has no doubt who they’re talking about.

“Than. Meg.”

Thanatos starts and looks away, at least having the decency to pretend to be embarrassed at getting caught. Megaera merely nods at him and takes a swig of her drink, a lack of shame radiating from her form. “Zagreus.”

He takes a seat to Thanatos’ right, leaving Megaera on the far left. She says something to the chef that Zagreus doesn’t catch and suddenly a glass of some unnamed concoction appears before him.

“What is this?”

“Strong. That’s all you need to know.” Megaera replies as she throws back an identical-looking drink. Zagreus wants to argue, ask why she thinks he needs such a drink, but before he opens his mouth, Thanatos cuts him off.

“Hypnos said Theseus got you.” He’s given a rare, though wry, smile from Thanatos, one he usually reserves for when they are alone together.

His lips twitch upwards in their own half-hearted smile before he grabs his drink and tips it in the air in a mock toast. “Here’s to dying yet again.”

The drink burns his throat most unpleasantly and he coughs as he slams the glass back down on the counter. “Blood and darkness, what is this?”

Megaera flashes him a grin that shows off her sharp teeth. “I told you not to ask questions. You might not like the answer.”

“Oh for—you know what? Fine.”

A hand grasps his shoulder then, Thanatos giving his silent support as Zagreus coughs and splutters at the last of the atrocity Megaera had procured for him. Fuck, all he wanted was some sleeping draught, why are his friends out to poison him?

“I got you something,” Thanatos whispers in his ear then, low enough Megaera can’t hear him while she flags the chef down to ask for another drink.

“Oh?” Zagreus doesn’t meet Thanatos’ eyes but can still feel them on him.

“From Hypnos. Should help you sleep.”

Zagreus pauses, allowing a few shades to float by. He doesn’t know why he feels the need to keep his exhaustion a secret, probably because he doesn’t want his father to find out how much his escape attempts are starting to wear on him. But thankfully Thanatos never needs to ask to understand exactly what Zagreus needs at the moment. He doesn’t even answer, just accepts a low murmur of “I’ll meet you in your chambers later.” Before the hand is gone from his shoulder and Thanatos has walked off to chat up Dusa as she cleans the far edge of the lounge.

Zagreus gets up to leave then but is stopped by Megaera. “Hey, Zagreus. Don’t stretch yourself too thin.”

When she doesn’t follow up, Zagreus asks. “Is that it?”

She glares at him. “Yes.”

“Oh. Very well then. Good day, er night? Whatever, see you around.”

He doesn’t miss the knowing look Megaera shoots his way as he leaves, but willfully ignores it as he walks out the door.

Instead of heading straight to his chambers, Zagreus takes a quick detour and finds himself in front of Cerberus. The three-headed dog perks up and thumps his massive tail on the marble flooring when he sees Zagreus approach.

“Hi, Cerberus. Who’s the bestest boy in all of the Underworld?” He fawns as he gives the dog a scratch under his preferred chin.

The dog barks in reply as if to say “me!” and Zagreus can’t help but relax. No matter what bullshit his father and the rest of his family continue to throw at him, at least Zagreus knows that he’ll always have Cerberus on his side.

Thankfully, his father isn’t there to make his usual snide remarks so he doesn’t hold back with his cooing and stupid pet names. Cerberus lolls his tongues and leans his head into Zagreus’ touch. While he fusses over the dog, he doesn’t miss Thanatos walk past him, an amused look on his face. So with a quick pat and a promise to give him a bag of gore later, Zagreus says goodbye to the hell hound and makes his way back to his chambers.

Thanatos is waiting for him, sitting cross-legged on his bed. His cloak is gone, hanging from the back of a chair, armor removed, and chiton open at the chest. He must be planning to hang out here for a bit. Zagreus thinks. Normally Thanatos is in such a rush to get back to work that he doesn’t stop to make himself comfortable, even though he knows that he is always welcome in Zagreus’ chambers.

Zagreus doesn’t even greet him, just walks straight to his bed and flops down face first. He hears Thanatos laugh above him before prodding him in the ribs. He doesn’t respond so much as let out a sad moan that’s lost into the mattress and that only seems to spur Thanatos on even more.

“Come on, Zag. Get up. I got you something.”

He rolls over onto his back and looks up at Thanatos, outright sulking. “Than,” he whines. “I’m so tired but I can’t sleep. What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you. You just need to stop pushing yourself so hard. Here, from Hypnos.” Thanatos holds out a small vial filled with a glowing blue liquid inside.

“What is it?” Zagreus is skeptical as he sits up and takes the offered item.

“Some sleeping potion. Mother used to give it to us when we couldn’t sleep as children.”

Zagreus snorts, not caring how undignified the sound is. “You mean when you couldn’t sleep. I don’t think Hypnos has ever had that problem.”

Thanatos lets out a low laugh at that. “True, you caught me. Anyway, take it, it should help.”

Zagreus holds the small vial up to the light, examining it. He’s never seen a potion like it before, but he trusts Hypnos. More importantly, he trusts Thanatos, who in turn trusts his brother above all else. Besides, if he dies at least it means he’ll just wake up in the pool of Styx again.

He shrugs and mumbles “bottoms up” before upending the vial so the potion pours into his mouth. It tastes odd, like the water from purification pools in the Temple of Styx, and warms his insides as it goes down, much like a good whiskey.

“Should take a small amount of time but you’ll be asleep soon.” Thanatos’ voice cuts through his thoughts.

Zagreus just nods and falls back into his bed, luxuriating in the mound of soft pillows Dusa must have fluffed for him while he was out. Thanatos hovers above him, clearly unsure of what to do, so with a roll of his eyes, Zagreus reaches up and yanks Thanatos down so that they are lying next to each other.

“Stay with me a while?” He asks as he cuddles up close to Thanatos’ bare chest and wraps his arms around his waist.

“Of course.” Thanatos returns the embrace. Zagreus can feel the moment that he lets go of all the tension in his muscles as he relaxes into the bed with him.

They don’t speak after that, and for once Zagreus doesn’t feel the need to fill the silence. Instead, he basks in the comfort that is being in Thanatos’ arms. He can’t remember the last time they simply enjoyed each other’s company like this, and immediately feels a pang of regret. Gods, he’s been so focused on escaping this damn place that he’s gone and neglected the one person that means the most to him.

He tilts his head up to whisper an apology but is met with the sleeping face of Thanatos. Eyes closed and lips slightly parted as he breathes in and out, Zagreus simply smiles and places and soft kiss to those lips, gentle enough so as not to wake him.

As he settles in, he places his ear up against Thanatos’ chest and within moments, he’s lulled to sleep by the steady thump of his heart.

* * *

In his dreams, he reaches Olympus. Everything is so light and warm that it’s off-putting for Zagreus, a child born of the cold and darkness. His cousins are all there waiting for him — Dionysus with barrels of wine much like the ones in the lounge Zagreus has never had the pleasure to try; Aphrodite is perched on a chaise and blows him a kiss, her naked form barely covered by her long hair; Hermes zips over on winged feet to give him a huge hug. “You finally made it, cuz!”

One by one, he’s greeted with hugs and shouts of congratulations from all of his Olympian family. Uncles Zeus and Poseidon put on a show with their lightning and the crashing waves of the sea, and Artemis brings a freshly killed deer for them to feast on.

But once the wine is pouring and the food is cooked, Zagreus notices something is off. He feels a sharp cold, unlike anything he’s ever experienced rip through him, all the way down to his bones. It’s out of place in the warm atmosphere, but nobody else seems to feel it.

“You!” He hears behind him. “But, you died!”

He knows who she is before he even turns to face her. Persephone. He’s not sure where she fits in amongst the other Olympians, but he reaches out to her anyway. “Mother?”

“No! You’re dead, you shouldn’t be here!”

“What? Mother, I’m alive. I mean, I’ve died many times, yes, but I always come back. Remember? I escaped from the Underworld to find you.”

She screams then, a shrill noise that hurts down to his bones. He doesn’t know what’s happening but it’s clear his own mother is horrified by him, repulsed. He tries to say something, to reassure her, but his voice is lost to her screaming.

Spinning around, he goes to ask his family for help, but they’re somehow oblivious, continuing to feast and drink. How do they not hear this? How can they just sit there?

He’s yelling then, trying to be heard over Persephone. But he’s also shaking, and he doesn’t know why. He isn’t cold, there isn’t an earthquake, and—

“Zag!” Thanatos’ voice is in his ear. “Zag wake up!”

Zagreus sits upright, adrenaline buzzing through his veins, his heart pounding like it’s trying to escape from his chest.

“It was just a dream.” Thanatos wraps his arms around Zagreus and pulls him back down into a lying position on the bed and tucks Zagreus’ head under his chin. Long fingers rub soothing circles on Zagreus’ back, murmuring calming encouragement to him while he fights to get his breathing back under control.

It takes a while, but Zagreus finally calms down and feels his breathing return to normal. Thanatos doesn’t move from his spot though, simply asks if he’d like to talk about it.

“It was so weird, Than. I was on Olympus and we were celebrating my arrival. But Mother was there and she kept screaming about how I died and shouldn’t be there.”

A hum rumbles through Thanatos’ chest at that. “It was just a dream.”

“I know. But it felt so real.” Zagreus hopes Thanatos misses the sorrowful note in his voice. “Mother said when I met her that I had been stillborn. So why am I here? How am I alive and why didn’t Father ever let her know?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure your father had his reasons, however—diabolical they may be.”

Zagreus sighs and wriggles a hand between them to place right over Thanatos’ heart. “I just wish he would tell me why he’s done the things he has.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out in time. And when you figure out how to stay on the surface permanently, Persephone will tell you everything you want to know.”

Zagreus buries his face into the broad chest against him, trying to hide the small smile that cracks across his face. “You said ‘when’.”

“Hmm?” He’s not sure if Thanatos is still groggy or just not paying attention.

Zagreus tilts his head up to look at Thanatos. “You said when. Not if. I—thank you, Than. It means so much to me that you know I’ll eventually make it out of here for good. Though I will say—I’ll miss this. Us.”

“What are you babbling about?” Thanatos’ eyes are closed but Zagreus can still feel the eye roll behind them.

Instead of answering, Zagreus grabs Thanatos’ face and pulls him in for a deep kiss. It’s lazy and languid, just the slow-moving of lips together with a prod of his tongue into Thanatos’ mouth, but it gets the point across.

They break away after several moments to catch their breath, and Zagreus whispers, “I love you, Than.”

“I love you too,” Thanatos replies as he rolls them over so that Zagreus is pressed on his back into the mattress.

“Mmph,” Zagreus half moans, half laughs as Thanatos once again captures his mouth in his own.

They stay that way for a while, just lazily making out and ignoring any sense of urgency to be elsewhere. But eventually, that isn’t enough. Their touches get bolder, their kisses deeper, and their moans louder. By the time Thanatos slots a thigh between Zagreus’ legs, they’re both rapidly losing patience. What little clothing they have on is quickly shed and tossed somewhere in the endless mess that is Zagreus’ bed chambers.

Their kissing is briefly interrupted while Thanatos digs around in the pillows for the vial of oil from their last time together. “Than,” Zagreus whines beneath him and grinds his now fully erect cock down on Thanatos’ thigh. “Please.”

“Patience,” Thanatos successfully locates the bottle of oil and holds it up in triumph.

Zagreus just continues to roll his hips and reaches down to grasp both his and Thanatos’ cocks in his hand.

“Zag!” Thanatos gasps, nearly dropping the vial as Zagreus begins to stroke them both. “Stop that.”

Zagreus grins impishly. “Stop what, love?”

“You know damn well what,” Thanatos tries to growl but instead it comes out as a broken whine.

A laugh escapes from Zagreus’ lips at that. He stops his ministrations for a moment, which causes Thanatos to let out another whine. He then throws his weight into Thanatos’ hip and rolls them over before kissing the surprised look off Thanatos’ face. Then he slides down the bed until his face is level with Thanatos’ cock.

He licks the head of it, grinning at the gasp of “Zag!” it earns him. There’s already precome beading at the tip and Zagreus makes sure to lap at it, teasing his tongue along the slit.

Long fingers comb through his hair before grasping harshly at the roots. “Zag, please.”

“Now who’s impatient?” Zagreus laughs but obliges his lover and swallows his length as far as he can.

As he bobs his head up and down, he looks up to see Thanatos throw his head back in ecstasy, his mouth open in a wordless cry.

Zagreus knows he’s close by the way his hand is starting to twitch in his hair and his gasps become shorter, more staccato. “Zag, wait! Stop!”

With renewed determination, Zagreus instead swallows Thanatos down to the base, until he feels the cock head hit the back of his throat. Thanatos comes with a sharp cry at that, spurting deep down Zagreus’ throat who eagerly swallows it all down.

“Blood and darkness,” Thanatos curses as Zagreus pulls off and gives him a wicked grin.

Licking his lips, Zagreus crawls back up to where Thanatos lays panting, his now soft dick flopped over onto his stomach. “You’re pure evil.” He manages to say as Zagreus reaches for the vial of oil and pours a generous amount onto his fingers.

“Oh come now. You certainly weren’t complaining a minute ago.”

Thanatos doesn’t even dignify that with an answer, merely takes the oil from Zagreus and begins to pump his cock back to full hardness while he watches Zagreus take himself apart on his fingers.

By the time Zagreus is ready, Thanatos is fully erect again and arguing that they haven’t taken enough time to prep, that he wants to work Zagreus more open than he could do for himself. Zagreus responds by pushing Thanatos back into the pillows and straddling him. He then lines himself up and sinks onto Thanatos’ dick, as far as he can possibly take him. If he winces a bit at the stretch, he hopes he hides it well enough that Thanatos doesn’t notice.

“Zagreus,” Thanatos’ voice soothes as he rubs gently at his thigh. “Breathe for me, love.”

He takes a deep inhale through his nose as Thanatos gently instructs him on how to stay relaxed. And when he exhales, he wills every muscle in his body to let go.

It works as he’s then able to sink all the way to the hilt. After a minute of adjustment, he rolls his hips experimentally. When the pain has subsided to pleasure, he rises until only the tip of Thanatos’ cock remains inside of him before slamming down again. 

They set a quick, brutal rhythm at that. Zagreus throws his head back and cries out his pleasure, and in turn, Thanatos gives out a possessive growl before reaching up to grab Zagreus’ cock. He begins to stroke him in time with his thrusts and it isn’t long before Zagreus is coming over his stomach, letting out a soft cry of “Than!”

Thanatos follows close behind and spills deep inside of Zagreus with a muffled grunt. Zagreus continues to ride him through both of their orgasms and when they are finally spent, collapses on top of Thanatos in a show of moans and sweaty exhaustion.

After a minute to regain their breath, Thanatos says, “Your stamina has improved with all of your escape attempts.”

“Funny.” Zagreus rolls his mismatched eyes.

Thanatos chuckles and presses a kiss to Zagreus’ forehead. “I’m just teasing, love. You’re always perfect.”

They fall silent after that, listening to the gentle synchronization of their breathing. Zagreus might doze off, he isn’t sure, but he feels the familiar fuzziness creeping around his consciousness.

“I think Hypnos’ potion hasn’t worn off yet.” Zagreus shifts and rolls off Thanatos so that he’s lying on the mattress. The softness of the linens instantly puts him in a state of sleepy bliss and he lets out a groan that sounds nothing short of orgasmic to his own ears.

“Should I be jealous of the sheets?” Thanatos curls around him from behind, wrapping his arms around Zagreus’ middle.

“Mmm, no. They can only hold me, they can’t actually fuck me.”

“You’re absurd.”

“Maybe. Why else would I keep trying to escape the Underworld so many times?”

Thanatos rests his chin in the crook of Zagreus’ neck and rubs circles on his stomach with long fingers. “Rest now. You can escape again tomorrow.”

Zagreus sighs. “You’re right. And this time I’ll find Mother.”

“You will.” Thanatos kisses the side of his face. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Zagreus replies. “So does this mean I’ll see you again along the way tomorrow?”

“Always.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It's always terrifying to post a fic for a new fandom but I just love Zagreus and Thanatos so. fucking much. 
> 
> Come yell at me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/FoxyLovesFandom)! I need more friends to scream about Hades with and also I just post a lot of random shit.


End file.
